


A Mother's Arms

by MzyraJane



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-21
Updated: 2013-07-21
Packaged: 2017-12-20 22:56:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/892870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MzyraJane/pseuds/MzyraJane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shortly after the Greyjoy rebellion, Theon's disappeared.</p>
<p>Based on a kink meme prompt (given in notes).</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Mother's Arms

This was a disaster. Potentially a war-causing international incident. _The boy is only ten, how far can he have gone?_

Ned did not know who to be angry at. Much of the household was caught up with little baby Arya and Cat's recovery after the birth; trying to keep an eye on the troublesome boy as well... But Robb said that the Greyjoy boy had been around when he and Jon had been put to bed, and that was only a couple of hours ago, so he _couldn't_ have gone far, even if that was his intention. Did the fool boy believe that he could escape to the sea and home from Winterfell? Surely Maester Luwin had explained the distance and conditions in the North; if Theon had run or ridden off, he was bound to get lost and recaptured or die out there. And death was not an option for them: Theon's death would remove any emotional obstacle to prevent Balon Greyjoy rising up again, _and_ possibly provide an _incentive_ to do so in retaliation for the death of his final son.

But hence why Ned was marshaling so many men to search, once they'd established he was nowhere in the castle, and if they couldn't find him there'd be little else they could do, except search again come morning, and then perhaps send out ravens or messengers to other settlements in the area and his local bannermen. He should have known that taking a ward in the manner he'd had to would mean far more trouble than he and Robert had been as children.

He went out with his men through the rest of Winterfell; he would get little enough sleep with Arya born, not to mention this concern weighing on his mind too. A few of the townspeople were still around, glancing out of windows at the movement, staggering drunkenly out of the tavern, even a half-dressed woman hanging out of a window in the brothel.

"Come on lads, not one of you got time to feed your manly hungers on a night like this?" she asked suggestively, one breast overflowing the low cut of her dress. Several of the men looked sorely tempted, though they managed to keep going.

"We have important business to deal with," Ned told her, trying not to be too curt.

The woman saw him, blushed and tucked her errant breast away. "Sorry m'lord, just doing _our_ business. Maybe when your boys return victorious, eh?" she winked at some of the others.

"Beg pardon, but is there war m'lord?" an older - but still seductively dressed - woman inquired from the doorway.

Ned would not normally discuss important matters like this with townspeople, and certainly not whores, but if they'd been watching out the window for the hours prior... "There's a boy missing, ten years old, would have been dressed quite well-" Ned could see that they knew something from before he'd even said so much as that. "You've seen him?"

"Er, aye m'lord. He's... he's in here."

Ned stared. "You brought the boy into a brothel?" 

"He came to us, m'lord," she shrugged uncertainly.

_At ten years old?_ Ned had never been anywhere near so driven at such a young age, didn't think even Brandon or Robert... Well, _maybe_ Robert, but still: how did the ironborn raise their children in such a way that boys would seek out prostitutes before they'd even begun to shave? "Why did you not tell anyone? Could you not tell his significance?"

"Well, yes m'lord, sort of m'lord, but... He seemed so sweet that 'm afraid he may have hit on a soft spot of some of us girls. We didn't wanta just turn him out."

Ned didn't understand what she was really saying and was getting frustrated now. "Just show him to me."

She curtsied a little and led the way into the brothel, which Ned had scarcely seen inside before, though he had heard much talk of it. The other women stared at him - probably left with little to do while so many men were engaged in trying to find Theon. Ridiculous: the men may well have found Theon faster doing their normal activities than actually searching. "Don't stare too much girls," the woman leading him told them, "he's only here to see the boy. Though if you change your mind, m'lord...?"

He gave her a serious look, " _Only_ to find the boy." As though he would do such a thing to Cat, especially now.

They reached a door upstairs, which was shut and the woman stopped. "He might be asleep m'lord, so mayhaps we should be quiet until you need him awake?"

Ned was so angry he cared little for Theon getting a peaceful night's sleep, but he wanted to ensure that the boy they were speaking of was truly Theon first.

The woman opened the door slowly, revealing another middle-aged woman who was as fully dressed as it was possible for a whore to be with their typical clothes, and yes, that was Theon. He was asleep, curled up against her, thumb half in his mouth from where he'd been sucking it, while the woman hummed quietly and stroked his hair.

"What's going on?!" Ned hissed at the woman who'd shown him in after a moment of staring in confusion.

She still looked uncertain. "He came in and wanted to pay for our Alys here."

" _He's a child!_ " and he certainly looked it right now, how could anyone, even a whore...?

'Alys' gave him an affronted look. "It was nothing like that, m'lord," she whispered. "I'd not do that. The lad... He just wanted me to sing him this song he knows and hold him and stroke his hair while he slept. He seemed so upset and desp'rate m'lord, I couldn' turn him away for just that."

Ned felt some guilt lying heavily in his stomach and he appraised this woman. He hadn't seen a great deal of Theon's mother during his brief time at Pyke, but Alys had similar pale hair and Ned could see a passing resemblance, certainly far more than most women. The poor boy, his being here wasn't his fault but still he was suffering.

"Alright," he sighed. "Thank you for keeping him safe. But he will have to return to the castle. I fear... I fear you remind him of his mother and that is why he sought you out."

"I did wonder m'lord."

"Perhaps... Perhaps sometimes you might be able to come to the castle when he requires it. But a boy his age should not be spending so much time in or around such a place as this."

"I- If m'lord wishes then I could do that, yes m'lord."

"We shall see. But for now he must come with me," Ned moved closer and gently shook the boy's shoulder. "Theon. Theon, wake up."

The boy opened his eyes blearily, then started properly awake at the sight of him before noticing his thumb, which he wiped on his breeches while blushing with embarrassment. "Am I in trouble?"

"You disappeared without letting anyone know where you were going."

Theon squirmed uncomfortably. Ned suspected the boy had not wanted to let anyone know of how he missed his mother; ten seemed much older to children and they would forgive themselves a lot less for their childish attributes.

"Fortunately for everyone you have not been harmed, but yes, you are in trouble. Now come along so we can call back the search parties and you can sleep in your own bedchamber."

Theon said nothing else for some time, even as some of the men laughed in surprise (and some possibly impressed) at the boy who had run off to a brothel even at that age, and went to replace him in the whores' arms. He looked miserable and perhaps on the verge of crying as he and Ned returned to the castle more-or-less alone.

"You do know why you are in trouble, don't you Theon?"

Theon didn't answer, all kinds of emotions running across his young face.

"You cannot simply disappear off without telling us. You could get lost or attacked and we worry."

"Why do _you_ care?" he could only just hear the boy mumble.

Ned felt guilty that the pressing reason was _Because it could mean war_. This was still a child, regardless of whose. "It is not your fault you are here, Theon. I'm sure you find it very hard sometimes and I do not wish to make it any harder than it needs to be. If there is a simple way to help, like talking to that woman before, then that need not be a problem. None of us wish you any harm-"

"Unless my father goes to war again." Theon was watching him now.

Truth be told, Ned struggled to see himself executing this (or _any_ ) child. He liked to tell himself that that was because Balon would not rebel, but that could not be certain. Robert would probably be a little more willing, and would probably claim that since Balon's uprising would be against his Iron Throne it would make sense that Robert would swing the sword rather than Ned, but Ned would rather send the boy to be of use at the Wall than have such a cruel waste of an innocent life. But he couldn't go around telling people of that or the point of holding a hostage would be moot. "Your father loves you, he won't do that."

Theon did not look reassured. "Maybe he doesn't." His voice wobbled as he finally whispered, "I miss my mother."

"I know." And that was something he could say: "And I'm sure she misses you too. And I'm also sure that, regardless of where you are, she wants you to be safe, which is just what we want too. So long as you stay safe you'll see her again eventually, so help us make sure that's true by not wandering off out on your own, and especially not without telling us first."

Theon nodded with resignation as they came upon his bedchamber door. "What's my punishment?"

Ned could spank him, but there was no malice in his actions this time, and it seemed far more fitting to say "You're not allowed out at all without my permission or insistence for the next month."

He nodded again glumly.

"But... if, now and then, seeing that woman would help you, I may allow her to come here."

Theon looked surprised and bit his lip anxiously in thought, unwilling to talk about that.

He almost left then, but found himself adding "You know Theon, I was a ward as a child. Down in the Vale. I know how it is to miss your family like this."

"What did you do?"

"I let Jon Arryn become a second father to me, and I let Robert Baratheon become a strong friend and another brother. The three of us are like family to this day."

Ned knew that Theon knew it couldn't be quite the same due to the differences in what had preceded each of their cases, but the boy didn't argue the point.

"We need not be enemies. And Robb looks up to you already." Not a fact Ned was entirely comfortable with and may be trying to gently discourage, but one that might help Theon feel better about himself.

Indeed, Theon did look a little hopeful. "Really?"

"One day you and he could be as Robert and I are." Perhaps they could create a good and loyal Greyjoy. In any case, it was far past bedtime. "Good night Theon. You'll still be expected to be awake for breakfast."

He snapped out of his thoughts. "Yes Lord Stark, good night." Theon looked rather happier as he disappeared into his bedchamber. Hopefully that would be an end to their problems. But even Ned thought that rather optimistic.

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Theon first goes to a brothel soon after arriving in Winterfell. He asks for a woman with pale hair, and eyes the same colour as his, who knows a song about fish. He pays her to sing him to sleep and stroke his hair.


End file.
